This disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for determining the real-time efficiency of the flight path of an aircraft. More particularly, the disclosed embodiments relate to systems and methods for determining the impacts and potential impact of various flight optimization techniques.
Aircraft transmit messages on a periodic basis, in response to specific events on board the aircraft and on-demand from the flight crew or ground system. Additional messages are also available that provide information relevant to aircraft (e.g. surveillance data). The ordering, delivery method, content and timing of the messages define a messaging profile. There are many different sets of messages that may support particular services, each with different messaging needs. In order to fulfill a real-time efficiency analysis, a specific messaging profile is required.
Determining efficiencies achieved enables the measurement of the impacts of various flight optimization techniques. Without detailed and accurate efficiency delta information, it is difficult to know the value of any new implementations that purport to deliver benefits. Efficiency and benefits for aircraft are currently calculated using post-analysis on various flight data. Various efforts have been made to give a rough estimate of potential benefits and savings based solely on a snapshot of data. This can be very accurate depending on the type of data available for use in calculations, but one of the main problems is that it is an analysis after the fact. This means that operators do not have an accurate idea of real-time efficiencies that may be gained, not the real-time benefits realized, and they also lose insight into potential missed efficiencies that might have been advantageous to the flight had they been known when the flight was en route.
There is a need for systems and methods that would allow efficiencies to be continually updated in real time across multiple efficiency parameters and use that information to find and evaluate potential missed efficiency opportunities.